Der Blogger

"Enough is enough!" "This can't go on!" "This has to stop!" These were among the comments that came through the blizzard of commentary after the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County. We have heard these words before.

Wanderlust

As a travel destination, Germany has never been more popular. With tourist numbers forecast to rise for an eighth consecutive year, what is the country doing right to account for its thriving visitor numbers?

Akademia

For education experts, English language lessons have proven valuable in primary schools in North Rhine-Westphalia. But the Alternative for Germany’s state parliamentary group in NRW have a rather different view.

Essen & Trinken

Police in the city of Osnabrück had to clear crowds in front of a new döner kebab shop on Tuesday, after about 150 hungry people packed the street outside, eager to get their hands on a döner for only €0.01.

Germericana

Many Americans have German ancestors — and that's also the case for actress Meghan Markle, who will be marrying Prince Harry, himself a descendant of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a German dynasty.

German car bosses bid to head off diesel ban with software fix for 5 million cars

In a bid to head off threats by major cities to partially ban diesel vehicles in their fight against deadly smog, bosses of auto groups Volkswagen, Daimler, BMW and Opel promised a patch that would reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by between 25 and 30 percent for cars that have been on the roads for less than nine years.

The carmakers will also stump up incentives for drivers to trade in cars that have been in circulation for ten years and more, said ministers after a meeting with auto industry executives.

Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt called the measures a “sensible basis” to slash emissions quickly, but Environment Minister Barbara Hendricks said it was only “the first important step”, warning that there may still be “gaps that need to be closed”.

But at least half of the 5.3 million vehicles were already offered a fix after a pollution cheating scam that engulfed Volkswagen broke in September 2015 – a point that Greenpeace was quick to point to.

Dying engine?

“Instead of protecting millions of people from diesel exhaust fumes, the government is today hooking a dying engine onto an oxygen tank,” it charged.

Greg Archer of lobby group Transport and Environment, called the software upgrade a “welcome stop-gap measure” but stressed that “this is not a long-term solution to the air pollution crisis.

Kultur

The German term "Heimat," often translated as "homeland," was long thought of as tacky, regressive, and even politically dubious. But since the election, German politicians across the spectrum are using it once again.

Das Kino

This month's Berlin film festival, Europe's first major cinema showcase in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein revelations, will shine a light on sexual misconduct in the industry, its director said on Tuesday.

Gesundheit

In the run-up to international World Cancer Day on Sunday, experts have said that about half of all cancer cases in Germany could be prevented by a healthier lifestyle. Across the country, around 500,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year. But experts say things like exercise could cut this figure in half. “Movement can […]